James Knight on Hollywood’s Role in Shaping the Future of VR and the Entertainment Experience

Suspension of disbelief has long played a critical role in all forms of entertainment, which is why the creative artists behind the best works of literature, film, theater, and the like are so sharply attuned to fostering the kind of experience in which an audience feels as though they are part of the action. Due to rapid advances in
technological developments, especially virtual reality, Hollywood is in a unique position when one considers the manner in which the film industry will be able to shape the future of an audience's entertainment experience.

Although there are still some inherent limitations associated with virtual reality, industry professionals believe that VR platforms and any other associated technology will soon be readily accessible to
consumers on a massive scale. There is ample evidence in support of this belief, and James Knight, the virtual production director at AMD, pointed out the role of virtual reality in a recent marketing campaign for the soon to be released Assassin’s Creed film.

Knight, who worked on the project in his capacity as AMD’s virtual production director, explained that an immersive virtual reality experience establishes an immediate and deep connection between the audience and the film’s characters. The Assassin’s Creed experience, for example, allowed audience members to become
characters in the film while participating in one of the film’s action sequences, which imbues the film’s fictional characters with the kind of depth and dimension not possible with other, more traditional marketing strategies.

The role of virtual reality in the future of entertainment is still being explored and is very much in its earliest stages of development and innovation, but it is not all that difficult to imagine the range of possibilities that exist as a result of VR’s continued development. Companies like AMD and experts like Knight, along with the support of the Hollywood film industry and its penchant for innovation, will surely be instrumental in overcoming the inherent technical challenges associated with creating such a high-resolution, life-like
virtual reality experience.

While the VR experience is increasingly being incorporated into marketing campaigns across various industries, the potential future uses seem to be limited only by the bounds of one’s own imagination. In the
hands of the film industry, it seems clear it is only a matter of time before virtual reality will ensure audiences no longer need to actively engage in suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy an entertainment experience.